Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich apologized in a telephone call to House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on Tuesday afternoon for his remarks on “Meet the Press,” where the presidential candidate referred to Ryan’s Medicare proposal as “radical change.”

“Newt apologized,” said Rick Tyler, his press secretary and longtime aide. “The call went very well.”

Gingrich, his nascent campaign in jeopardy, has shifted into fervent damage control following a furious conservative reaction to his comments — and is even expressing a rare bit of contrition.

From Iowa, Gingrich held two conference calls with tea party leaders scattered throughout the nation – one on short notice Monday night, and another Tuesday morning. Aides said Gingrich started each of the half-hour calls by explaining what he meant on “Meet the Press,” and acknowledging that he could have expressed it better. “We’ve tried to correct the record and admit it could have been done better,” Tyler said. “We move on.”

After exchanging conciliatory emails with Ryan, Gingrich had the phone conversation from Minneapolis, where he was campaigning before the Minnesota Family Council.

Ryan had said on Laura Ingraham’s radio show on Monday, “With allies like that, who needs the left?”

On the Sunday show, Gingrich had referred to the GOP Medicare proposal as “right-wing social engineering.” When moderator David Gregory pressed specifically on Ryan’s plan, Gingrich added: “I think that that is too big a jump. … I’m against Obamacare, which is imposing radical change. And I would be against a conservative imposing radical change.”

On Tuesday, after the two tea-party calls, Gingrich held a third call with conservative bloggers.

The Gingrich team was encouraged when questions on the calls migrated from Medicare to other subjects, ranging from the United Nations to education. By the accounts of Gingrich and his advisers, he meant what he said, and just phrased it clumsily. The campaign admits to “missteps” and believes the damage is serious but survivable.

“Newt will get up to bat again, and he’ll hit a home run,” Tyler said. “This is just one event. I don’t think it’s a defining event. I do think it’s serious, and we’ve taken it seriously.”

Gingrich believes that whatever the merits of the Ryan plan, the introduction has been politically awkward.

“Medicare is going to be part of the 2012 campaign, one way or another, and Newt would like to help the Republicans design a winning plan that the country will support,” Tyler continued. “If you try to impose it on the country, you’ll pay a huge political price, you’ll be out of power and you won’t get it done.”

In a sign that Gingrich plans no retreat, Tyler added: “Newt Gingrich has a record of achievement on large-scale, historic change. When he offers advice on Medicare reform, I’d listen to him. And part of that advice is: You need a political plan to go along with your policy plan, so that you can convince the country that where you want to take them is where they want to go.”